LOL at all the idiots who thinks they have friends on NB.
^I'm surprised I haven't already read a comment like that in this thread.
OT: I guess it depends on one's concept of a friend. In a lot of cases, the truth is hidden from offline friends. I've seen a few members saying, "My friends don't even know I watch anime. I don't want to tell them." Why? For a lot of people, that's just one secret out of dozens. Even with our real life friends, many of us still fear the judgmental habits that we humans have. That alone could turn into a philosophical debate - what are friends if they not only don't know everything about you, but you fear letting them know everything?
The 'answer' to that is for another time, though it would still be opinion based. I just threw that out there for some to think about before getting into the following.
I've had people on here tell me that they've told me things that even their closest friends don't know, and I'm sure I'm not the only one, people in general open up more to others on the internet. How much more so in private, while on the internet? To some, the definition of a friend is someone to be there when you need them. Well, if someone online can come to you instead of their offline friends because they trust you with their secrets, does that fall within that definition? I mean, you're the only person they can go to. When they're sad, you make them feel better. When they just want to have a chat that they can't afford to have with their offline friends, you're there for them. Hell, some even put out money to buy their friends premium. If a real life friend should be there for you, and he is, but is limited to how much he can help - then how less real is a friend on the net who can help you beyond the limits of any friend you have offline?
There's the argument, "You don't really know them." Again, a concept that can be philosophically debated.
1) You can go to them when you're sad about anything.
2) You can joke and chat to them about anything.
3) The above mentioned is very limited when it comes to offline friends.
Sure, you may not truly know them, but do your offline friends even truly know you?
Sometimes, a friend can simply be someone who is consistently there when you need them most. Anything beyond that, and we enter one's personal definition of a friend, or the majority's definition of a friend.
In a completely lawless and chaotic world, you'd be surprised who'd leave you. Sometimes, the friend you think you know may not even know themselves.
As I said in the beginning, the entire concept of a friend can be debated.
Nonetheless, I'd appreciate those who were there for me when I needed them. Offline or online.
